« The sacred is found boring by many who find the uncanny fascinating. » — Mason Cooley
I’ve expressed many a time my ambivalent affection for Golden Age Atlas horror comics: in short, despite their slapdash, often incoherent writing, they had a solid stable of artists (which makes the thin writing all the more disappointing); but most of all, they generally had eye-catching covers, splendidly coloured (easy a task to underestimate!) and blessed with a light touch absent on the insides.
Today, I’ve picked out my favourite covers from Uncanny Tales (fifty-six issues, 1952-57). Enjoy!
This is Uncanny Tales n. 5 (Feb. 1953, Atlas), cover art by Bill Everett, colours — consistently fine! — presumably by Stan Goldberg in all cases.This is Uncanny Tales n. 6 (Mar. 1953, Atlas), cover art by Bill Everett.This is Uncanny Tales n. 13 (Oct. 1953, Atlas), cover art likely a collaboration by Sol Brodsky and Carl Burgos.This is Uncanny Tales n. 17 (Feb. 1954, Atlas), cover art by Bill Everett.This is Uncanny Tales n. 18 (Mar. 1954, Atlas), cover art by Russ Heath. For a gallery of further Heath spookies, check out this entry from last year. This endearingly goofy one is Uncanny Tales n. 20 (May 1954, Atlas), with cover artist Robert Q. Sale giving it his best Joe Maneely imitation.Surely the leading candidate for “Most understated Marvel cover of the 1950s”… if not of all time. Stan must have been away from the office. This is Uncanny Tales no. 23 (Aug. 1953, Atlas); Art by Russ Heath. I’m understandably reminded of that old-timey jibe, « Walk East until your hat floats ».This is Uncanny Tales n. 27 (Dec. 1954, Atlas), cover art by Max ‘Carl Burgos‘ Finkelstein.And one post-Code entry, since it’s so outstanding. This is Uncanny Tales no. 48 (Oct. 1956, Atlas), Another subtle one by Russ Heath, but in a totally different register. Kudos!
My fave covers from the batch above are #5 (Everett) and #23 and #48 (Heath). All are worthy of carrying the EC imprint but, for me, #48 is in a class of its own.
Batches of these used to find their way over to the UK and its our school (equivalent to the upper ends of the US Grade 5).
Scared us all, and not in a good way either.
Certainly fired up the imagination. In later years H.P .Lovecraft was just a walk in the sunshine.
Those early exposures to the horror genre, however mild in perspective, often packed a real punch when they found fertile ground. I remember a couple of things that thoroughly freaked me out as a kid but wouldn’t raise a goosebump today. I treasure these moments!
The stories can still remain vivid even if some of the outer details are fuzzy.
There was one book the name I have forgotten (or buried?) whose stories had ways of truly getting their hooks into you, maybe the whole tale or just one line:
The cop shooting at a vampire figure flying away over the city and saying desperately to his partner ‘Tell me it’s a bird Joe. Tell me it’s a bird,’
Death having taken a six year old boy, gets caught up in an existentialist argument with the lad who doesn’t believe who Death is and want to go back home…Death eventually lets him final panel ‘It won’t matter just this one time’
The most disturbing of all in story and visual….This extract is long…The memory of the tale is still that vivid.
Humanoid aliens land on Earth. They find a peaceful society mostly populated by elderly but very healthy and alert folk. What puzzles one are the number of statues of a small boy tormenting animals and general being nasty. His guide explains.
No one knew how or why but…
Mickey’s mother died at his birth, so did the doctor. A nurse threw herself from a window (scene of terrified screaming figure falling from a high rise hospital)
Mickey’s father took his wife’s loss hard and blamed Mickey (scene of raging suburban father taking a belt to a wailing child)
Mickey takes his revenge (scene of father being electrocuted in his bath, Mickey watch from bathroom door, relishing the scene)
Social service and cop come to collect him Mickey resists, struggles all the way causes a traffic accident in which everyone is killed but him, he escapes. In his flight is knocked an killed.
Small panel scene of Death hauling Mickey of ‘Death took Mickey from this world as he came in kicking and screaming’
The alien visitor is still puzzled why this boy is honoured. HIs guide, smiling lights a cigarette and explains that from then no one died (or presumably was born) or got older. ‘You see, Mickey was the death of Death,’
65 years on from reading that issue- never gets diluted.
Footnote, a couple of years later I saw another issue for sale in a second-hand store… I turned a nearly fled the place.
From then on I was pretty much inured to whatever the Horror Genre could throw at me. Nothing could compare to those powerful thought messages left upon a 10 year old mind ….no gore either.
Who's Out There? 
My fave covers from the batch above are #5 (Everett) and #23 and #48 (Heath). All are worthy of carrying the EC imprint but, for me, #48 is in a class of its own.
Thanks posting them and keep on keepin’ on!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Batches of these used to find their way over to the UK and its our school (equivalent to the upper ends of the US Grade 5).
Scared us all, and not in a good way either.
Certainly fired up the imagination. In later years H.P .Lovecraft was just a walk in the sunshine.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those early exposures to the horror genre, however mild in perspective, often packed a real punch when they found fertile ground. I remember a couple of things that thoroughly freaked me out as a kid but wouldn’t raise a goosebump today. I treasure these moments!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The stories can still remain vivid even if some of the outer details are fuzzy.
There was one book the name I have forgotten (or buried?) whose stories had ways of truly getting their hooks into you, maybe the whole tale or just one line:
The cop shooting at a vampire figure flying away over the city and saying desperately to his partner ‘Tell me it’s a bird Joe. Tell me it’s a bird,’
Death having taken a six year old boy, gets caught up in an existentialist argument with the lad who doesn’t believe who Death is and want to go back home…Death eventually lets him final panel ‘It won’t matter just this one time’
The most disturbing of all in story and visual….This extract is long…The memory of the tale is still that vivid.
Humanoid aliens land on Earth. They find a peaceful society mostly populated by elderly but very healthy and alert folk. What puzzles one are the number of statues of a small boy tormenting animals and general being nasty. His guide explains.
No one knew how or why but…
Mickey’s mother died at his birth, so did the doctor. A nurse threw herself from a window (scene of terrified screaming figure falling from a high rise hospital)
Mickey’s father took his wife’s loss hard and blamed Mickey (scene of raging suburban father taking a belt to a wailing child)
Mickey takes his revenge (scene of father being electrocuted in his bath, Mickey watch from bathroom door, relishing the scene)
Social service and cop come to collect him Mickey resists, struggles all the way causes a traffic accident in which everyone is killed but him, he escapes. In his flight is knocked an killed.
Small panel scene of Death hauling Mickey of ‘Death took Mickey from this world as he came in kicking and screaming’
The alien visitor is still puzzled why this boy is honoured. HIs guide, smiling lights a cigarette and explains that from then no one died (or presumably was born) or got older. ‘You see, Mickey was the death of Death,’
65 years on from reading that issue- never gets diluted.
Footnote, a couple of years later I saw another issue for sale in a second-hand store… I turned a nearly fled the place.
From then on I was pretty much inured to whatever the Horror Genre could throw at me. Nothing could compare to those powerful thought messages left upon a 10 year old mind ….no gore either.
LikeLike